diff --git a/src/emu/info.c b/src/emu/info.c
index 2aa9d7cc107..6d72d3339d4 100644
--- a/src/emu/info.c
+++ b/src/emu/info.c
@@ -979,9 +979,10 @@ static void print_game_software_list(FILE *out, const game_driver *game, const m
 
 		for ( int i = 0; i < DEVINFO_STR_SWLIST_MAX - DEVINFO_STR_SWLIST_0; i++ )
 		{
-			if ( swlist->list_name[i] && (swlist->list_type == SOFTWARE_LIST_ORIGINAL_SYSTEM))
+			if ( swlist->list_name[i] )
 			{
-				fprintf(out, "\t\t<softwarelist name=\"%s\" />\n", swlist->list_name[i] );
+				fprintf(out, "\t\t<softwarelist name=\"%s\" ", swlist->list_name[i] );
+				fprintf(out, "status=\"%s\" />\n", (swlist->list_type == SOFTWARE_LIST_ORIGINAL_SYSTEM) ? "original" : "compatible" );
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1040,7 +1041,7 @@ static void print_game_info(FILE *out, const game_driver *game)
 	if (game->description != NULL)
 		fprintf(out, "\t\t<description>%s</description>\n", xml_normalize_string(game->description));
 
-	/* print the year only if is a number */
+	/* print the year only if is a number or another allowed character (? or +) */
 	if (game->year != NULL && strspn(game->year, "0123456789?+") == strlen(game->year))
 		fprintf(out, "\t\t<year>%s</year>\n", xml_normalize_string(game->year));
 
@@ -1212,6 +1213,7 @@ void print_mame_xml(FILE *out, const game_driver *const games[], const char *gam
 		"\t\t\t\t<!ATTLIST extension name CDATA #REQUIRED>\n"
 		"\t\t<!ELEMENT softwarelist EMPTY>\n"
 		"\t\t\t<!ATTLIST softwarelist name CDATA #REQUIRED>\n"
+		"\t\t\t<!ATTLIST softwarelist status (original|compatible) #REQUIRED>\n"
 #ifdef MESS
 		"\t\t<!ELEMENT ramoption (#PCDATA)>\n"
 		"\t\t\t<!ATTLIST ramoption default CDATA #IMPLIED>\n"